Railway-track structure



Aug. 26 1924.

H. c. S TIF'F RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8,1924 Inventor.- y firmer C. 577m II I I IIII'II IIIHH HHI I W Aug. 26 @21.

H. C. STlFF RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Filed April 8 1924 (S'Sheets-Sheet 2a 6% km frrlq N\ QM Aug. 26 1924. 1,505,979

H. c. STIFF RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Filed April 8, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3flitnesses: a" f-fjnvgzgtbr: ENE) r/Fr, flaw? im- Patented Aug. 2&3,1924,

UNITED STATES HENRY C. STIFF, OF JOHNSTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTURE.

Application filed April 8,

T 0 all tU/lOWt it may concern:

Be it know that I, HENRY U. STIFF, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Johnstown. in the county of Cambria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Track Structures, of which the follow ing is a Specification.

This invention relates to railway track structures and more particularlyto a track structure including a switch and guard rail having a portionforming a housing for the switch tongue.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel form of guard railhaving a sec tional head, a portion of which forms a housing for theswitch tongue.

Another 0 ject of this invention is to provide a novel form of guardrail having atleast a portion of its head adjustable transverselyrelative to the vertical. axis of the rail, said adjustable portionforming a housing for the switch tongue.

A further object is to provide a guard rail having a housing platemounted in the head thereof and adjustable transversely relative to thevertical axis of the rail.

A still further object is to provide a railway structure having thenovel combination, construction, and design of parts hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figures 1 and 1 combine to form a plan view of one sideof a track section embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a section of a guard rail embodying myinvention.

Figure 3 is a top plan of the same.

Figures 4-. to 7 inclusive are transverse sectional elevations taken onthe lines IVTV, V-V, VL-VL and VIT-VH of Figure 1, respectively.

Figures 8 to 10 inclusive are transverse sectional elevations on thelines VIII-VH1, IX-JX and X-X of Figure 1 respectively.

Figure 11 ing plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates astandard rail section forming part of the track structure. The rail 2mounted on suitable ties 3, and a guard rail composed of a standard railsection t and special housing guard rail section 5 are secured to theties 3 in subis an elevation of the shim lock- 1924. Serial No. 705,052.

stantially a parallel position with the rail 2. Suitable tie plates 6are positioned under the rail 2 and guard rail section 5 and serve as abearing for these sections and also for the switch tongue 8, which ismounted between the rail section 2 and guard rail section The tongue 8is of the usual swinging or pivoted type adapted to be swung into openor closed position by means of the switch rods 9 and a suitableoperating mechanism (not shown).

The switch tongue or point rail 8 is tapered or pointed to lie up snuglyagainst the main rail 2, and when thrown open a sufficient distance toallow the necessary tiangeway width for passage of wheel flanges thepoint stands away from rail 2 too great a distance to provide a suitableguard for the wheel flanges, with the result that the point rail on theopposite side of track is rapidly worn down or it standing partly openwill cause wheel flange to pick the point causing derailment or injuryto the switch.

The present invention provides a housing formed as a part of the guardrail section 5 adapted to house the switch tongue or point when thewitch is in open position so to properly guide the wheels and preventthem from hearing against or striking the opposite switch point.

The guard rail section 5 comprises a base flange 11, a web 12'and asectional head 14.- located entirely to one side of the web 12. The headportion let is provided with a cutaway portion or recess 15, in which isre movably mounted a housing plate 16. The plate 16 is removably securedin the recess 15 by bolts 17, which pass through suitable elongatedholes 18 inv the plate 16 and through substantially fitted holes 19 inthe head. thereby permitting a transverse adjustment of the plate 16relative to the vertical axis of the rail when said bolts are loosened.

The rail section 5 is provided with thick ened portions or projections20 which are provided with upstanding shoulders 21 along their upperrear edges to form stops For the plate 16. The plate 16 is provided withprojections or lugs 20 which extend over the projections 20 and havetheir rear faces in engagement with the shoulders 2i. The plate 16 isadapted to be adjusted transversely relative to the vertical axis of therail when the bolts 17 are loosened and suitable shims 22 are adapted tobe inserted between the shoulders 21 and rear faces of the lugs 20 toprevent the wheels traveling along the track from forcing back the plate16 from its adjusted position.

The shims 22 are adapted to be held in position by a locking plate 24mounted un der the heads of bolts 17 and serving as a washer for thebolts as well as to loci: the shims 22 in place. The plates 2 1 extendover the top of the shims 22 and are provided with downwardly bent lugs25 adapted to engage the end walls of the shims to prevent endwisemovement thereof.

The advantage of having a sectional head guard rail, in which theportion of the head forming a housing for the switch point is removableand adjustable transversely of the vertical axis of the rail, lies inthe fact that the guard rails are not always properly positionedrelative to the switch point when being secured to the ties, and,therefore, the guard rail head will not properly house the switchtongue. It the portion of rail head forming the housing were integralwith the guard rail, as generally formed in the prior art, and the railis not properly positioned relative to the switch tongue, itnecessitates the remounting of the rail, while in the present case therail need only be approximately positioned, and then the plate 16adjusted to the proper position to house the switch tongue 8. It willalso be noted that should the plate 16, which is the wear portion of theguard rail, become worn or broken, a new plate may be mounted instead ofreplacing the whole rail.

Many other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in theart.

I claim 1. A guard rail having at least a portion of its head removablymounted thereon and adjustable transversely relative to the verticalaxis of the rail.

2. A guard rail having its head portion located entirely at one side ofthe web, and at least a portion of said head being adjustabletransversely relative to said web.

3. A guard rail having its head portion located entirely at one side ofthe web, and said head being provided with an adjustable section,removably secured to said rail and adjustable transversely of the web.

4:. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, and ahousing member secured along a portion of said head and adjustabletransversely relative to said web.

5. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, said headbeing cut away for a portion of its length to provide a seat, and ahousing plate removably mounted in said seat, and projecting outwardlybeyond and entirely to one side of said head.

6. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, said headbeing cut away for a portion of its length to provide a seat and ahousing plate removably mounted in said seat, and projecting outwardlybeyond and entirely to one side of said head, said housing plate beingadjustable transversely of said head.

7. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, said headbeing cut away for a portion of its length to provide a seat and ahousing plate removably mounted in said seat, and projecting outwardlybeyond and entirely to one side of said head, said housing plate beingadjustable transversely of said head, and means for securing said platein various adjusted positions.

8. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, said headbeing cut away for a portion of its length to provide a seat and ahousing plate removably mounted in said seat, and projecting outwardlybeyond and entirely to one side of said head, said housing plate beingadjustable transversely of said head, and means including bolts and aplurality of shims for securing said plate in various adjustedpositions.

9. In a track structure including a switch having a swinging tonguemember, a guard rail having at least a portion of its head mounted fortransverse adjustment relative to the vertical axis of the rail, saidportion of said guard rail head extending over and forming a housing forsaid tongue when said tongue is swung into one of its positions.

10. In a track structure including .a switch having a swinging tonguemember, a guard rail having at least a portion of its head removablymounted thereon and adjustable transversely relative to the verticalaxis of the rail, said portion of said guard rail head extending overand forming a housing for said tongue when said tongue is swung into oneof its positions.

11. A guard rail comprising integral web and head portions, said headbeing cut away for a portion of its length to provide a seat, a housingplate removably mounted in said seat and projecting outwardly beyondsaid head, said housing plate being adjustable transversely of saidhead, means including bolts and a plurality of shims for securing saidplate in various adjusted positions, and means for holding said shims inposition.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY C. STIFF.

